Oconee County, GA Politics

The city of Watkinsville is no longer a perfect one mile circle from the Courthouse. The giant five acre tracts are few and far between these days. Now it is about narrow lots, non-conforming driveways and garage doors, and building where they can or what they can. The city council did their level best to try to take everyone's concerns into account Wednesday evening at the Community Center during their regular April meeting. City Council memher Brian Brodrick was not in attendance at this month's meeting. New member Mike Huff (below) finally began to come out his shell a bit in describing one of the properties in question. Connie Massey did not say a thing that I remember. Toby Smith listens to Mike Huff discuss the best way out of this zoning mess. The Watkinsville City Council faced the daunting task of trying to redo the zoning code in one fell swoop or take each zoning variance individually.  The council tabled the motion for changing the zoning about garages and p...

MINUTES OF MEETING OF MAYOR AND COUNCIL CITY OF WATKINSVILLE December 10, 2008 PRESENT: Mayor Luken, Council members Link, Purcell, Brodrick, Walsh and Walter VISITORS: See attached sheet. QUORUM CHECK: Mayor Luken acknowledges a quorum is present. All speakers are asked to approach the lectern and address Council. CHRISTMAS PARADE AWARDS: Mayor Luken appreciates Maridee Williams organizing and overseeing the Watkinsville Christmas Parade. He explains that he and Maridee discussed a couple of weeks ago that the parade at one point almost dissolved, but thanks to Maridee and The Oconee Enterprise, it has continued. “Maridee has done an incredible job”, he says. Maridee Williams presents the Christmas Parade Awards (See attached list of winners.). MINUTES: Councilwoman Purcell moved and Councilman Link seconded the motion to approve the November 12, 2008 Minutes as presented. Opportunity for discussion. Motion carried unanimously. Councilman Link moved and Councilwoman Purcell se...

More insight from Lee Becker Dear Friends, The Oconee County Planning Commission tomorrow night is scheduled to review the rezone request for a major shopping center on Epps Bridge Parkway behind the current development. The rezone is the sole new item on the agenda < http://www.oconeecounty.com/Government/Planning/PlanningPDFs/PC-Agenda8-18-08.pdf >. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the courthouse in Watkinsville. The development will put a lot of traffic onto Epps Bridge Parkway and SR 316. It also will adversely affect McNutt Creek. As the Athens Banner-Herald < http://onlineathens.com/stories/081408/news_2008081400170.shtml > has reported, the entire project hinges on a road that is not yet built--an extension of the Oconee Connector. The Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center has raised concerns about the project. The Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center report is available here < http://www.negplanning.org/dri/search >. The Oconee County planning ...

You may have attended last years' meetings for "Your Watkinsville". We are now in the process of looking at the zoning ordinance, which will correspond with the Concept Plan and Future Land Use Plan developed from those meetings. We will conduct the public hearing, which has been advertised in the newspaper for several weeks now, on February 28th @ 7:00 p.m. Potential to adopt the new zoning ordinance on March 14th @ 7:00 at the next regular Council meeting. To view the proposed zoning ordinance click on the link below and then click on Watkinsville Zoning Ordinance. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at City Hall @ 706-769-5161. The document is too large to e-mail but, you can download the document from http://www.negrdc.org/departments//planning/bookstore.asp . Thank you. Julie Sanders City Clerk wkvcityhall@charter.net